Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah writes to Tamil Nadu counterpart Stalin backing renewed Centre-State relations debate

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to his Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin expressing “strong support” for initiating a national conversation on Union-State relations, underscoring the importance of cooperative federalism in India’s constitutional framework.

Mr. Siddaramaiah’s letter comes in response to Mr. Stalin’s letter dated February 20, 2026, forwarding Part 1 of the report of the high-level committee on Union-State relations. Mr. Stalin had earlier this month tabled the report of the Justice Kurian Joseph High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

No solitary endeavour

Mr. Siddaramaiah emphasised that it is imperative for all States, irrespective of political affiliations, to join hands in constructive federal dialogue. “Federal renewal cannot be a solitary endeavour of one or two States; it must emerge as a collective articulation,” he said, adding that the objective is “not to weaken the Union but to right-size it, to ensure that national energy is concentrated on genuinely national priorities, while States are trusted with spheres constitutionally entrusted to them.”

In a post on X, attaching the letter he addressed to Mr. Stalin, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Federalism is not a political demand – it is part of the basic structure of our Constitution. Over the years, increasing centralisation in fiscal and legislative matters has disturbed the delicate balance envisioned by our Constitution makers. States must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them.”

He said that States must have the authority and fiscal space to fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to them. “India’s strength lies in cooperative federalism, constitutional trust, and respect for diversity,” he said.

Institutional platform

Urging the Union government to provide an institutional platform – such as a revitalised Inter-State Council – for all States to deliberate and restore balance in our federal structure, he said, “Karnataka stands ready to engage constructively in strengthening India’s democratic and federal framework.”

In his letter, the Chief Minister expressed concern over what he called “phenomenon of incremental centralisation” that has altered the federal balance through expansive interpretations of the Concurrent List, conditional fiscal transfers, centrally designed schemes with diminishing State flexibility, and procedural bottlenecks in Governor’s assent. He stated that what was intended as cooperative federalism has increasingly resembled “coercive federalism.”

What Ambedkar said

He further said, drawing a historical context, “As you have rightly observed, our Constitution was framed under exceptional historical compulsions. The Constituent Assembly, animated by the anxieties of Partition and integration, consciously crafted a Union with unitary features. Yet, as B.R. Ambedkar reminded the Assembly, India would be a “Union of States,” not a unitary state in disguise. Federalism was not an act of administrative convenience but a structural guarantee against concentration of power.”